Shakira's Super Bowl 'Tongue Thing' Meme Has Turned Into A Teachable Moment
By James Dinh
February 3, 2020
Jennifer Lopez and Shakira put their hearts (and plenty of fancy footwork) into their Super Bowl LIV halftime show on Sunday (February 2), but a few minutes into the set, the former delivered the most popular meme of the night. Shortly into "Hips Don't Lie," the Colombian entertainer leaned towards one of the cameras at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida to let out a high-pitched cry and the internet went bonkers.
While many were quick to compare the viral moment to a turkey and characters from SpongeBob SquarePants, the true meaning of the tongue-waging cry was soon revealed to be a nod to her Lebanese heritage. As with the rest of her performance, Shak made sure to fill her performance with a stack of cultural references, including an all-Colombian back-up dance ensemble, sprinkles of Middle Eastern music, a belly dance routine, as well as the moment in question. To be specific, the tongue flickering is actually called a zaghrouta, which is a joyful sound that Arabic speakers make when rejoicing in celebration. In case you didn't know, Shak's father was born in New York City to Lebanese parents and emigrated to Colombia, where she was later born in 1977. Her name is Arabic and directly translates to "grateful."
Over on Lopez's end, the pop titan showed out for her culture by representing Puerto Rico with a cape that turned into a flag. She was also joined by J Balvin and Bad Bunny for the hits-filled set. Scroll on below to relive the spectacle during the NFL showdown between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs!
When you watch the #SuperBowl with your friends and they all think Shakira's tongue thing is weird and then you realize the only reason you don't think its weird is cause all the women in your family do this at weddings. That Middle Eastern upbringing lol pic.twitter.com/Qj6Xdxu6tV
— Michelle Sindyukov (@mischasindyukov) February 3, 2020
FYI: Shakira’s “tongue flicking” is a cultural reference to Barranquilla’s Carnaval and a celebration of Colombia’s culture.
— 𝚔𝚊𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚊❤️ (@katalina_delmar) February 3, 2020
Hey guys? Your ignorance is showing 🥴 #PepsiHalftime
Quit the stupid jokes. This is called zaghrouta (a.k.a. ululation in English). It is a joyful sound Arabic speakers make when cheering & celebrating. #Shakira #ShakiraXJLoSuperBowl pic.twitter.com/mG2cWpB592
— Elianne Farhat (@ElianneMJF) February 3, 2020
This is called zaghrouta. It is a way to express joy or happiness in Arab culture. Elements of it can also be found in other cultures even as far as music in the Balkans. https://t.co/bixdVn34vF
— Bozi Tatarevic (@hoonable) February 3, 2020
What Shakira did here is typically done in Middle Eastern cultures when expressing joy and celebration called Zaghourta. Being half Lebanese she didn’t just decide to speak in tongue even if it wasn’t the best.
— Evon Mikhail (@EvonMikhail) February 3, 2020
The more you know! *shooting star across the rainbow* https://t.co/yNn96gwruj
her lebanese side SNAPPED https://t.co/WF4U5IGM3r
— dima 🦋 (@dimuhhhh) February 3, 2020
Lebanese moms when ppl get married pic.twitter.com/aHnf0b6bo9
— ROBIN DABANK (@TreezPleez) February 3, 2020
This is why you cannot have social media managers with no diversity.
— Heidi N. Moore (@moorehn) February 3, 2020
The sheer ignorance of not understanding that 1) her Lebanese roots and 2) this is a traditional celebratory gesture in the ENTIRE REGIONS of North Africa, the Levant and the Middle East as well as the Balkans https://t.co/7WPm3AkA7I
What Shakira did here is called “Zalghouta” wich is a Lebanese tradition that expresses happiness and excitement.
— Yasmine (@yasminebllt) February 3, 2020
P.S: Shakira has Lebanese roots in her DNA.#PepsiHalftime
pic.twitter.com/AuRZZBFBvw
Noting that #Shakira is half Lebanese, I’d like to highlight that this high pitched toungue thrill is called a “Zalghouta”, a traditional Lebanese loud expression used to celebrate joyful events like getting a degree, welcoming a guest, or performing at the #SuperBowl 😂🏈 pic.twitter.com/t3rLtORcI5
— Farah Aridi (@faraharidi19) February 3, 2020
The @shakira memes make me realize the lack of global awareness there is in society. What she did is a celebratory expression used in numerous Arab & African countries. She’s half-Lebanese. It’s called a zaghrouta. Glad this is a teachable moment for y’all. Ted talk over.
— Neima Abdulahi (@NeimerDreamer) February 3, 2020
Photo: Getty Images